Apparatus with heated filter and operation method of the same

1 . An apparatus, comprising:

a housing including a process chamber for etching a substrate using a plasma;

a substrate retainer disposed in the housing and configured to retain the substrate in the process chamber, so as to permit the substrate to be etched by the plasma;

a vacuum pump disposed downstream of the housing for discharging a fluid flow which results from etching the substrate using the plasma;

an engagement wall defining a passageway downstream of the housing and upstream of the vacuum pump;

a mesh filter which is configured to filter fluid flow, and which is connected to an inner surface of the engagement wall; and

a heating device disposed to heat the mesh filter, the heating device including

a heat generator for generating a heat energy, the heat generator being located outside of the engagement wall, and

a conduction unit which extends from the heat generator through the engagement wall into the passageway and which is connected to the mesh filter so as to bring the mesh filter into thermal contact with the heat generator.

2 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a plasma generator for generating the plasma, the plasma generator including

a dielectric plate disposed above the substrate retainer,

a first gas inlet formed in the dielectric plate and configured to introduce a first precursor gas for generating the plasma into the process chamber, and

a plasma coil disposed above the dielectric plate so as to ionize the first precursor gas to generate the plasma in the process chamber when a power is applied to the plasma coil.

3 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , further comprising:

a plurality of second gas inlets which are formed in the housing, and which are angularly spaced apart from each other so as to introduce a second precursor gas into the process chamber through the second gas inlets, and so as to permit the second precursor gas, together with the first precursor gas, to be ionized to generate the plasma.

4 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a throttle valve coupled between the housing and the mesh filter.

5 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes a communication chamber disposed downstream of the process chamber and upstream of the mesh filter.

6 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 5 , further comprising a supporting frame which is configured to support the substrate retainer, and which is disposed inside the housing to partition an inner space of the housing into the process chamber and the communication chamber, the supporting frame being formed with a plurality of venting bores so as to permit passage of the fluid flow.

7 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein

the conduction unit has a thermal conductivity greater than 20 Wm −1 K −1 , and

the conduction unit includes

a conduction base which has an opening for passage of the fluid flow, and which is disposed in the passageway downstream of the mesh filter, and

a conduction rod which extends from the heat generator through the engagement wall to the conduction base in the passageway so as to bring the conduction base into thermal contact with the heat generator.

8 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 7 , wherein an outer periphery of each of the conduction base and the mesh filter is in fitting engagement with the inner surface of the engagement wall.

9 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the conduction unit includes:

a conduction base which has

an inner periphery defining an opening for passage of the fluid flow, the inner periphery being configured to receive and retain the mesh filter in the opening, and

an outer periphery configured to be retained by the engagement wall; and

a conduction rod which extends from the heat generator through the engagement wall to the conduction base in the passageway so as to bring the conduction base into thermal contact with the heat generator.

10 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the inner surface of the engagement wall has

a first portion defining a first inner dimension of the passageway,

a second portion located upstream of the first portion, and defining a second inner dimension of the passageway, the second inner dimension being greater than the first inner dimension, and

a shoulder portion interconnecting the first portion and the second portion, the mesh filter being disposed on the shoulder portion.

11 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the heating device further includes a temperature sensor disposed for detecting a temperature of the mesh filter.

12 . The apparatus as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the heat generator further includes

an electrical resistor for converting an electrical energy to the heat energy, the electrical resistor being in thermal contact with the conduction unit, and

a controller which is in single communication with the temperature sensor and the electrical resistor, and which is configured such that when the temperature of the mesh filter is lower than a predetermined temperature, the electrical resistor is switched by the controller from an off-state to an on-state, during which the electrical energy is applied to the electrical resistor.

13 . A method, comprising:

etching a substrate using a plasma generated in a plasma chamber at a plasma treating temperature so that a fluid flow which results from etching the substrate is obtained, the fluid flow including byproducts which are in a gaseous form in the plasma chamber at the plasma treating temperature;

directing the fluid flow to sequentially pass through a communication chamber and a mesh filter, the fluid flow in the communication chamber having a cooled down temperature lower than the plasma treating temperature, the byproducts being transformed into a solid form when passing through the communication chamber; and

when the byproducts in the fluid flow pass through the mesh filter, transforming a phase of the byproducts from the solid form back to the gaseous form, so as to prevent the byproducts in the fluid flow from being collected by the mesh filter.

14 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the plasma is generated by

preparing an etching gas and a hydrocarbon gas;

adjusting a concentration of the etching gas by controlling a proportion of the hydrocarbon gas so as to obtain a precursor gas including the etching gas and the hydrocarbon gas,

ionizing the precursor gas.

15 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the mesh filter is heated to a predetermined temperature before etching the substrate using the plasma.

16 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein transforming the phase of the byproducts from the solid form back to the gaseous form is performed by heating the mesh filter.

17 . The method as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the mesh filter is heated through a thermal conductor which is in direct contact with the mesh filter, and which transmits a heat energy from a heat generator to the mesh filter.

18 . The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein the byproducts include hydrocarbon monomers, hydrocarbon polymers, halocarbon monomers, halocarbon polymers, or combinations thereof.

19 . A method, comprising:

preparing a precursor gas including an etching gas and a carbon-containing gas;

ionizing the precursor gas to generate a plasma in a plasma chamber at a plasma treating temperature and to etch a substrate in the plasma chamber using the plasma, a fluid flow, resulting from etching the substrate, including byproducts which are formed from the precursor gas and which are in a gaseous form in the plasma chamber at the plasma treating temperature;

directing the fluid flow to sequentially pass through a communication chamber and a mesh filter, the fluid flow in the communication chamber having a cooled down temperature lower than the plasma treating temperature, the byproducts being transformed into a solid form when passing through the communication chamber; and

when the byproducts in the fluid flow pass through the mesh filter, heating the byproducts in the fluid flow to transform a phase of the byproducts from the solid form back to the gaseous form, so as to prevent the byproducts in the fluid flow from being collected by the mesh filter.

20 . The method as claimed in claim 19 , wherein

preparing the precursor gas includes preparing the etching gas and the hydrocarbon gas, and adjusting a concentration of the etching gas by controlling a proportion of the hydrocarbon gas, and

the etching gas includes hydrogen fluoride, nitrogen fluoride, carbon fluoride, sulfur fluoride, or combinations thereof.